Therapy for Cats
by WolfgalXX
Summary: The ThunderClan cats seem to be having some identity problems. Set way back in the old days, say first book of the first series.


**Great, I've gone off the deep end...This is all your fault, (you better know who I mean or I'm going to kill you on Monday). **

**Probably OOC at parts. Let's say this takes place during the two months after Firepaw became an apprentice. **

**I'm not Erin Hunter, and I don't own Warriors. That should be particularly obvious after you read this. **

Firepaw blinked his eyes. He shifted a little, disturbing the moss he was lying on. It wasn't light outside yet, so he figured he could grab a few minutes of sleep before apprentice training began.

But he heard a twig break near the entrance of the den. No cat was awake yet, and the ThunderClan warriors who were moving about should be patrolling the borders of their territory.

That was when he realized he was alone. Graypaw had fallen asleep next to him last night, and Dustpaw and Sandpaw slept on the other side of the den. Ravenpaw wasn't there either. Firepaw didn't breathe as he listened for some sign of life.

"Hello?" He meowed quietly. No answer.

Firepaw remembered the words of warning about ShadowClan. If another cat had intruded into ThunderClan's camp, as an apprentice, he would be expected to fight off the threat. He leapt up, shook himself awake, and dashed out into night.

He looked around in the darkness, and failed to see any sign of life. If something invaded, he'd have heard frightened mews from the nursery. Firepaw frowned. No cat was prowling, so what had broken the twig?

"Firepaw!" A panicked meow came through the black. Firepaw recognized the voice as his friend, Graypaw.

"What are you doing awake?" He whispered urgently. "And where is everyone? Has another clan made an attack?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Then what's going on?"

Graypaw looked down at his paws. He didn't meet Firepaw's eyes. "We're having a meeting."

Firepaw stepped forward. His friend was being purposefully ambiguous. "Well, then why keep that secret?"

"Because..." Graypaw struggled with his words. "Because I'm scared."

This was serious, then. If Graypaw was scared of a meeting, something must have happened.

"Then I needed to know about it. Come on, where are you all holding this?"

"Near Spottedleaf's den." Graypaw answered. Firepaw flicked his tail, a sign that his friend should follow, and ran to the medicine cat's den. There, a group of cats sat in a half-circle around a very tired Spottedleaf.

"All of you! This is tradition and an honor, not something you should be ashamed or afraid of! For many years, ThunderClan has asked our warrior ancestors to look down upon kits, apprentices, warriors, and leaders. You out of all of us should understand, Bluestar!"

Bluestar's voice answered, though Firepaw couldn't see her. "I, out of all of us, have been affected most by this!"

"Graypaw, what is going on?" Firepaw demanded.

"Oh, that's easy. See, ever since I was a little kit, I always wanted to be an apprentice. My biggest dream and ambition, see? And then, when I finally become one, I realized what I was giving up."

His friend was avoiding. "But training to be a warrior is an honor!"

"Yes, but do you know how that makes me feel?"

Firepaw was now thoroughly convinced Graypaw, and possibly most of ThunderClan, was sick with something much more confusing than greencough. He spotted Tigerclaw sitting by himself nearby, away from the group.

"Tigerclaw?" He asked hesitantly. The Clan had complex rules about talking to senior warriors, and he didn't want to be disrespectful.

"Mouse-brained fools if you ask me." Tigerclaw said, skipping formalities. He flicked his tail at Spottedleaf and the cats surrounding her, as if Firepaw might not know who he was talking about.

"What is Spottedleaf doing?"

"Therapy."

Firepaw couldn't help but stare at his half-mentor in confusion. Tigerclaw didn't seem to care and stalked off.

What next? Firepaw knew the answer.

"Hey, Spottedleaf?" Firepaw yelled over the clamor of the other cats. She couldn't hear him though, so he pushed his way through the crowd until he was standing next to her.

"Oh, not you too. Don't tell me you really miss _Rusty_?"

"What are you talking about?"

Spottedleaf smiled at him in relief. "Good, it didn't get you. Something is going around I think. Everyone wants to be young again or something. But that's not quite it."

Firepaw tried to keep up, but couldn't. She noticed his perplexed look.

"I can't explain it you well, because I'm not sure quite what it is myself. Let me give you an example. Say, your friend Graypaw. He was once Graykit, and a ceremony changed his name. This is supposed to be a defining moment in a young cat's life, but now he seems to miss his old name."

"So...They are all having some sort of identity crisis?"

Spottedleaf nodded. "It usually only happens to the elders, when they look back on their lives. But now it's affecting the entire clan!"

"Do you need any help?"

"I would love some, thank you. What I think might help is if we figure out exactly when this started happening, and why they feel this way. Do you think you could take half?"

---

The next morning, Firepaw hadn't even gotten through half of his half, and no one seemed up to hunting, so he was stuck listening to sob stories, and the freshkill pile was almost depleted.

"When I was young, I used to play with my brother all the time out in the sun! We didn't have any duties or responsibilities or expectations! And then I got this stupid name, and every cat in sight started _needing _me. Like elders can't catch their own prey!"

Firepaw sighed. "Thank you. When did these feelings start?"

"They have always been there!" The cat narrowed his eyes at him angrily, and Firepaw decided to wrap this up fast, or he would end up in Spottedleaf's den eating poppyseeds.

"Is there anything you need from us?"

"No, I think that was it, thanks." The cat smiled at him and left with a swish of its tail. Firepaw sighed again. All the confused cats needed was another cat to listen to their problem. It was getting tiring being that particular cat, however.

"Next!" He called out. To his surprise, in came Tigerclaw.

"I'm not affected with whatever disease Spottedleaf is telling everyone about. Just wanted to ask you if Ravenpaw's been in yet."

"Yes, he was. He just said something about missing Ravenkit and then left."

Tigerclaw nodded. "Good." He walked right back out.

Firepaw couldn't help but think his mentor was right. Therapy for cats was a completely mouse-brained idea.

**I agree with Firepaw. Tell me what you thought in a review, please, if you have the time.**


End file.
